For-Side Imploding; iTouch For Sale Again

I sorta-kinda knew about this, in relation to For-Side.com’s U.S. and European implosion, but didn’t follow up: Ten months after Japanese mobile content company For-Side.com bought the British mobile content/ringtones biggie iTouch for $344 million, it is thinking of disposing it off. It has asked investment bank Close Brothers to review strategic options for the London-based iTouch.
We’ve been reporting on how For-Side is definitely retreating from U.S. and this story says it might dispose off all acquisitions outside of Asia. In U.S. among its portfolio, For-Side owned Zingy is for sale, Vindigo has been merged into Zingy, and 411-Song opted out of the acquisition last year.
The story also says that other mobile ring tone companies, such as Italy’s Buongiorno (and now expanding into U.S.) and US-based Infospace, could be interested in acquiring Itouch. It was also suggested that traditional media groups looking to expand into mobile phone content could also be possible acquirers.Related:
— Zingy On The Block, For-Side Retreating From U.S.?
— Zingy Absorbing Sister Company Vindigo
— For-Side’s U.S. Companies To Go Public
— For-Side To Buy iTouch For $344 Million
— The Mystery Called For-Side.com